A dead ringer for Jerry Springer
His resemblance to the famous celebrity is uncanny, and Jim Hopkins is not sure what to make of it.
George Clooney? Brad Pitt? Matthew McConaughy?
No… Jerry Springer.
Once in costume, with the glasses and long, wavy hair, the Lincoln actor’s a dead ringer for the controversial talk show host he will portray in the just-as-controversial “Jerry Springer — The Opera.”
“I don’t know if it’s a compliment or not, but I’ve been getting a lot of that,” Hopkins said with a chuckle in a phone interview from Memphis, Tenn., where the show begins a 20-performance run tonight at the Playhouse on the Square.
Written by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, the British musical is based on the American television show “The Jerry Springer Show.”
It’s an operatic restaging of the talk show, with people confessing to an assortment of infidelities in front of outraged partners and a vocal studio audience known for its “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry” chants.
In the second act, Springer finds himself in a hell of his own making and is called upon to effect a reconciliation between two ultimate adversaries — Jesus and Satan.
“It’s definitely far out in places,” said Hopkins, who recently completed a five-week run in Abilene, Kan., in the British farce “Noises Off” — a show tame by comparison. “It did receive attention in London for its controversial nature.”
Indeed, it did.
The musical ran for 609 performances in London from April 2003 to February 2005 and was the winner of four major awards, including the Olivier Award in London for best musical.
The musical came under fire in January 2005 after its U.K. television broadcast on BBC Two, drawing 55,000 complaints, primarily for its depiction of Judeo-Christian themes.
The Memphis production will be the second in the United States. The U.S. premiere was in May in Chicago, where it was extended for a second six weeks after playing to strong reviews and sold-out houses.
Memphis, however, seems an unlikely locale, especially given the opera’s sacrilegious themes.
Not so, according to Jackie Nichols, founder and executive producer of the Memphis theater.
“We are not afraid of controversy even though we are in the Deep South, the Bible belt,” she told the Cincinnati Post in June. “If you can do ‘Jerry Springer — The Opera’ in Memphis, you can do it anywhere.”
Hopkins, for one, is looking forward to it, mainly because the show and his role are unlike anything he’s done before.
He’s been watching old “Springer” episodes to mimic the talk show host’s mannerisms, voice and physicality. He recently finished Springer’s autobiography, “Ringmaster.”
“You get a sense from reading the book that he wonders, ‘How did I end up here?’” Hopkins said.
Although he’s the opera’s main character, he doesn’t sing or dance in the production.
“I’m feeling a bit like I’m in the eye of a hurricane,” he said. “I’m kind of in the midst of all this craziness. It’s a unique experience for me.”
That’s saying something, considering Hopkins has had his fair share of unique stage experiences.
Last year, for instance, he and William Heafer cross-dressed in Ken Ludwig’s farce “Leading Ladies” at the Nebraska Repertory Theatre. It was his second straight season with The Rep.
This year, Hopkins, who recently completed his master’s degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, decided to test the waters outside the state.
He attended February’s Unified Professional Theatre Auditions held, coincidentally, at Memphis’ Playhouse on the Square.
He landed three shows from the national audition: “Noises Off” in Abilene, “Jerry Springer — The Opera” in Memphis and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, where he’ll head after “Springer” finishes its run.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to work,” he said. “It’s a tough row to hoe to be in this field. Any opportunity is always good. I’m very fortunate to work this much out of school.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
George Clooney? Brad Pitt? Matthew McConaughy?
No… Jerry Springer.
Once in costume, with the glasses and long, wavy hair, the Lincoln actor’s a dead ringer for the controversial talk show host he will portray in the just-as-controversial “Jerry Springer — The Opera.”
“I don’t know if it’s a compliment or not, but I’ve been getting a lot of that,” Hopkins said with a chuckle in a phone interview from Memphis, Tenn., where the show begins a 20-performance run tonight at the Playhouse on the Square.
Written by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, the British musical is based on the American television show “The Jerry Springer Show.”
It’s an operatic restaging of the talk show, with people confessing to an assortment of infidelities in front of outraged partners and a vocal studio audience known for its “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry” chants.
In the second act, Springer finds himself in a hell of his own making and is called upon to effect a reconciliation between two ultimate adversaries — Jesus and Satan.
“It’s definitely far out in places,” said Hopkins, who recently completed a five-week run in Abilene, Kan., in the British farce “Noises Off” — a show tame by comparison. “It did receive attention in London for its controversial nature.”
Indeed, it did.
The musical ran for 609 performances in London from April 2003 to February 2005 and was the winner of four major awards, including the Olivier Award in London for best musical.
The musical came under fire in January 2005 after its U.K. television broadcast on BBC Two, drawing 55,000 complaints, primarily for its depiction of Judeo-Christian themes.
The Memphis production will be the second in the United States. The U.S. premiere was in May in Chicago, where it was extended for a second six weeks after playing to strong reviews and sold-out houses.
Memphis, however, seems an unlikely locale, especially given the opera’s sacrilegious themes.
Not so, according to Jackie Nichols, founder and executive producer of the Memphis theater.
“We are not afraid of controversy even though we are in the Deep South, the Bible belt,” she told the Cincinnati Post in June. “If you can do ‘Jerry Springer — The Opera’ in Memphis, you can do it anywhere.”
Hopkins, for one, is looking forward to it, mainly because the show and his role are unlike anything he’s done before.
He’s been watching old “Springer” episodes to mimic the talk show host’s mannerisms, voice and physicality. He recently finished Springer’s autobiography, “Ringmaster.”
“You get a sense from reading the book that he wonders, ‘How did I end up here?’” Hopkins said.
Although he’s the opera’s main character, he doesn’t sing or dance in the production.
“I’m feeling a bit like I’m in the eye of a hurricane,” he said. “I’m kind of in the midst of all this craziness. It’s a unique experience for me.”
That’s saying something, considering Hopkins has had his fair share of unique stage experiences.
Last year, for instance, he and William Heafer cross-dressed in Ken Ludwig’s farce “Leading Ladies” at the Nebraska Repertory Theatre. It was his second straight season with The Rep.
This year, Hopkins, who recently completed his master’s degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, decided to test the waters outside the state.
He attended February’s Unified Professional Theatre Auditions held, coincidentally, at Memphis’ Playhouse on the Square.
He landed three shows from the national audition: “Noises Off” in Abilene, “Jerry Springer — The Opera” in Memphis and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, where he’ll head after “Springer” finishes its run.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to work,” he said. “It’s a tough row to hoe to be in this field. Any opportunity is always good. I’m very fortunate to work this much out of school.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
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